Print Edition of The Observer for Thursday, January 28, 2016

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Volume 50, Issue 79 | thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

University releases early acceptances For the first time ever, students received an electronic decision instead of letters in the mail

By KAYLA MULLEN Associate News Editor

When the University of Notre Dame released its Restricted Early Action acceptances to 1,610 students this past December, something was notably different — rather than issuing their usual blue and gold acceptance letters, Notre Dame welcomed students home with a celebratory web page, Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment Donald Bishop said.

“The year before, in regular action, we found the U.S. mail service has become less dependable on timing — they’re getting there, but they’re taking longer,” Bishop said. “ … Students now post on

their social media network that they were admitted, they text each other, they communicate in so many ways. Nowadays, students are announcing their decision, and other kids are waiting for the mail, so we literally had hundreds of anxious calls, worried that they didn’t get a letter or that they assumed they were turned down since they didn’t get a letter right away.

“It created a lot of anxiety, so with the U.S. mail service not as consistent, we talked to students … about this. They said, ‘Look, everybody else does it electronically, and while it is great to have the Notre Dame surprise in the see ADMITS PAGE 4

Rome Global Gateway adds new building

Photo courtesy of the University of Notre Dame

The new building in Rome, shown here, will serve as a home abroad for 100 students and a hall staff and rector to help manage the hall.

Observer Staff Report

Just weeks after unveiling substantial changes regarding student housing on its main campus, the University announced Wednesday that students studying abroad in Rome Global Gateway programs will have a new place to live beginning in the fall of 2017.

According to Wednesday’s press release, Notre Dame recently purchased a villa on the Caelian Hill in central Rome — a block away from Notre Dame’s

news PAGE 3

home base in the city — which will house 100 students as well as hall staff and a rector.

In addition to housing University students participating in Study Abroad programs through a variety of institutions, the new residence building will house third-year architecture undergraduate students, who spend their entire junior year in Rome as part of their curriculum.

J. Nicholas Entrikin, vice president and associate provost for see ROME PAGE 4

viewpoint PAGE 6

LUCY DU | The Observer

2016 Election observer: Vincent phillip muÑoz

Professor reviews campaign issues, upcoming primaries

By RACHEL O’GRADY News Writer

Editor’s Note: Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, The Observer will sit down with Notre Dame experts to break down the election and its importance to students. In this second installment, News Writer Rachel O’Grady asks Tocqueville Associate Professor of Political Science Vincent Phillip Muñoz about the upcoming primaries and the biggest issues of the campaign.

Rachel O’Grady: With the Iowa caucuses just a few days away and New Hampshire not long after, what should we be looking for as the results come in?

Professor Muñoz: I suppose the number one question for the Republican primary is: Do Trump supporters actually turn out to vote? If they don’t, the Donald might be in for a quick fall. Or perhaps that’s just my wishful thinking. For the Democrats: Can Bernie Sanders actually win one of

the early states and, if he does, can he transform that victory into a perception that he could actually defeat Clinton? And if Trump and Sanders win in Iowa and New Hampshire, expect lots of talk about a third party challenger mounting a run — Bloomberg?

ROG: The average age of Supreme Court justices right now is 75, so it is likely our next president will have at least one Supreme Court nominee. How see CAMPAIGN PAGE 5

Saint Mary’s faculty showcase personal art

By MARTHA REILLY News Writer

Wednesday night’s opening reception for the Saint Mary’s faculty art exhibition proved art is at the heart of the College’s mission to engage the community in distinct learning experiences. The exhibition

scene PAGE 6

showcased photographs, sculptures, textiles and ceramics by Saint Mary’s faculty.

Gallery director and assistant art professor Ian Weaver said he hopes viewers appreciate the various research pursuits incorporated in this showcase, which will remain open for six weeks in Moreau Galleries.

“Even though we teach in a particular area, we have divergent and multivalent interests which make their way into our work,” Weaver said. “This is an important example for students to see: how diverse an artistic life can be.”

men’s basketball PAGE 16

women’s basketball PAGE 16

see EXHIBIT PAGE 5

2

TODAY

The observer | thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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What is one food you would never taste again?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Greg Hadley Managing Editor Business Manager Jack Rooney Cristina Gutierrez

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junior Alumni Hall

“Q dogs.”

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freshman Zahm House

junior Breen-Phillips Hall

“North Dining Hall.”

“Tofu.”

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“Kale.”

“Sour straws.”

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MARY McGRAW | The Observer

Student artwork was displayed in the basement of the Commerce Center during the Birdsell Project art reception Friday. The site specific installation was sponsored by Notre Dame’s Teaching Beyond the Classroom grant.

Today’s Staff News

Sports

Kayla Mullen Selena Ponio Kathryn Marshall

Alex Carson Manny de Jesus Hunter McDaniel

Graphics

Scene

Lucy Du

Adam Ramos

Photo

Viewpoint

Chris Collins

Scott Olehnik

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The next Five days:

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Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Mindful Meditation Coleman-Morse Center 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m.

All students, faculty and staff may attend.

Lecture: “Centuries of Shakespeare” Hesburgh Library 4 p.m-5 p.m.

Michael Witmore will present.

Benefit Dinner for Christian Refugees Remick Commons 7 p.m-9 p.m.

Funds raised for persecuted Christians.

Men’s Basketball vs.

Wake Forest Purcell Pavilion 1 p.m-3 p.m.

The Irish take on the Demon Deacons.

“No Cross, No Crown” Snite Museum of Art all day Print exhibition by James Barry.

“Iron Sharpens Iron” Christian Fellowship Coleman-Morse Center 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

Student-led worship.

Graduate Student Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m.

Seating will be reserved.

27th Annual Student Film Festival DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 6:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

Student-produced films.

La Misa en Español Dillon Hall 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

All are welcome to this Mass celebrated in Spanish.

“African American Voices” Snite Museum of Art all day African-American artwork exhibition.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, january 28, 2016 | The Observer

3

Professor promotes the importance of sleep

By JP GSCHWIND News Writer

Sleep deprivation is an epidemic across college campuses and its pernicious effects often go unnoticed, according to Jessica Payne, Nancy O'Neill Collegiate Chair in Psycholog y.

Payne delivered a talk titled “The Neuroscience of Being Your Best Self” in Jordan Hall on Wednesday and focused on the importance of sleep.

“I’ve spent years and years working with students and now over 10 years working with corporations and it’s very clear to me, you are truly going to be at your best — and that means best in terms of grades, best in terms of athletic performance, best in terms of creativity — you really need three fundamental cognitive functions in order to do that,” Payne said.

According to Payne, these three factors are good sleep, moderate stress and positive emotions. Payne said these cognitive functions are all interrelated and and often declines and deprivations in one will lead to damaging consequences for the other two.

“The good news is that for any one of those areas you decide to get better and really improve, you’ll see improvements in the other ones as well,” Payne said.

Quantity and quality of sleep are often the most lacking components of optimal brain function for college students, Payne said, because of bad habits like allnight cramming sessions or simply underestimating how much sleep is necessary and healthy. Payne said as much as college students might wish they could somehow live without sleeping at all, sleep remains an integral and essential aspect life for not only humans, but also for animals.

“There is no known way to replace or effectively simulate sleep,” Payne said.

Therefore, Payne said, it is vital to maximize the effectiveness of sleep and encourage students to take stock of their own sleeping habits and work to improve on them.

Payne said the mean amount of sleep needed is approximately eight hours, but follows the a normal or bell curve distribution meaning the amount of sleep

needed varies somewhat per person. However, Payne, said the vast majority of people will fall in seven to nine hour range.

“Regardless of the specific amount that you ... need to be at your best, you really need to go ahead and get that because if you don’t, you might as well be drunk — but you’re going to be having a lot less fun,” Payne said.

Often the reason behind people neglecting to get proper sleep, Payne said, is a mistaken belief that sleep is a relatively useless inactive state “Most people think sleep is a dormant state; most people think sleep is a time where the brain is just switched off, [where] it’s powered down like a computer, it’s shut down like a car, it’s resting, maybe it’s rejuvenating but it’s not doing anything,” Payne said.

Payne said this widespread fallacy lingers despite contradicting well-established science.

“Your brain when you’re asleep is highly active, intensely active,” Payne said.

According to Payne, some regions of the brain including

the hippocampus, the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex are, in fact, more active during sleep than wakefulness. These regions are associated with memor y and learning, making them especially important for college students, Payne said.

“We can test for memor y in two ways: for specific details and to remember the gist,” Payne said.

Payne said studies have shown that both kinds of memor y are dramatically impacted by how many hours the subjects of the test had slept.

Moving on to the other two factors inf luencing brain function, Payne said, moderate stress is beneficial for the cognition. This is described by the YerkesDodson Law, which shows an absence of stress results in apathy, boredom and tiredness, while a surplus of stress is debilitating, Payne said.

However, college students are much more likely to be over-stressed than suffering from a lack of stress, so they should focus on stress reduction methods such as getting adequate sleep, exercise, social support and relaxation

training, which includes yoga and meditation, Payne said. According to Payne, relaxation training and meditation in particular can lead to profound and positive changes in the brain.

“W hen we talk about building neural real estate, I’m not saying you have to go to Tibet and become a monk for 20 years," Payne said. "I’m saying look at this eight-week experiment where people had no idea what meditation even was and for eight weeks, [then] they meditate for 20 minutes a day and, all of a sudden, at the end of eight weeks, they see all these changes I’m talking about."

Payne said creating a positive emotional state is also vital for college students, and she recommends many of the same methods for reducing stress, but also emphasizes emotion regulation strategies. These techniques range from simply recognizing and labelling emotions to reappraising negative situations and training yourself to present to the moment, Payne said.

Contact JP Gschwind at jgschwin@nd.edu

SAB aims to foster community through comedy

By NICOLE CARATAS News Writer

Comedian Aisha Alfa will fill the room with laughter Wednesday in Saint Mary’s Carroll Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. as she cracks jokes during her comedy performance sponsored by the Saint Mary’s Student Activities Board (SAB).

SAB president, senior Colleen Michael, said SAB’s focus this year is to provide students with the opportunity to attend new and unique events.

“Bringing performers and outside vendors allows students to experience something exciting and out of the ordinary,” Michael said. “Classes are starting to kick into high gear, if they have not already.

This is the perfect opportunity to relax and have a good laugh, to take a break from the homework, the papers, the tests and do something fun.”

Michael said she wanted to get students’ input on who to bring to campus. She and other members of SAB attended the National Association of Campus Activities Conference where a number of performers

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were showcased.

After the conference, the SAB Entertainment Committee researched the various performers. After three performers were chosen as finalists, a survey was sent to students and hundreds of students selected Alfa, Michael said.

“Students have and should have a voice on campus,” Michael said. “I really enjoyed

receiving the input from the student body. It was great to see their enthusiasm by voting. It is important that we are providing the students with what they want to participate in; voting is a great way to ensure we are meeting their expectations.”

Michael said the Board’s second goal for the year is to focus on the College’s core value of fostering community.

“Bringing a comedian gives the student body, as well as the tri-campus community, the opportunity to come together,” Michael said. “When you ask a Saint Mary’s student what her favorite part about Saint Mary’s is, there is a high chance she will say community. Events such as [a comedy show] will foster this community.”

Michael said by focusing on the community aspect of the event, students will have the chance to meet and spend time with other students who they regularly would not encounter.

“It will bring students together for something fun and light,” Michael said. “It brings people together who normally do not see each other because of different majors or different class years. … What better way to bring people together than through laughter?”

Contact Nicole Caratas at ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

senate

Group reflects on inaugural Walk the Walk Week

By JUSTINE WANG News Writer

Notre Dame’s Student Senate met Wednesday evening to exchange feedback pertaining to Notre Dame’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and the University’s inaugural Walk the Walk Week.

Senators raised concerns about the effectiveness of this year’s scheduling and potential improvements for next year.

Discussion lent itself to the possibility of a University-wide holiday without class.

Admits Continued from page 1

mail, it’s more humane to let us know right away.’”

Students embraced the new method of releasing decisions, Bishop said.

“The time at which the decision became available was 6:42 p.m., which is 18:42 and we were founded in 1842, so we tried to be a little clever,” Bishop said. “The vast majority of students opened their decision within the first hour.”

The Admissions department accepted 1,610 students from the 5,340 students who applied for Early Action, Bishop said.

However, receiving an Early Action acceptance from Notre Dame is as difficult, if not more difficult, than being accepted during the Regular Decision period, Bishop said.

“We have Early Action to give students the most freedom of

“It’s that added on philosophy of service to others and, if you will, the ‘goodness’ factor that some group of students really find compelling and they trust that.

They believe that Notre Dame is very unique in that, and Notre Dame becomes their only school.”

Donald Bishop associate vice president undergraduate enrollment

final choice, so while if they get in here early, they still have the freedom of choice,” Bishop said. “If we are willing to give them that freedom — we are not forcing an agreement from them like the Early Decision program — therefore, Notre Dame should not make it easier to get in if you apply early.

“The process, when all the Early Action applications are in, we review the whole group.

“One big concern was faculty — are they going to come in if if they don’t have a class to teach? Same thing with the students — if you get out of bed and go to a 9 a.m. [class], you might as well go to this [Celebration] Luncheon. As opposed to [thinking], ‘It’s a threeday weekend, I’m going to go out drinking on a Sunday night,’” student body president Bryan Ricketts said.

In addition to discussion of Walk The Walk Week, the Senate approved the nomination of a new Director of Gender Issues, sophomore Alex Eisele.

We try to make the same admissions decision whether you apply early or regular.”

Of the students accepted in Early Action, 46 percent are from public schools, 41 percent from Catholic schools and 13 percent from private and charter schools, Bishop said. The students represent 47 states and the District of Columbia and 31 different nations, Bishop said.

“There’s more diversity — geographical diversity, more ethnic diversity,” Bishop said.

“We also have a rise in the top percent of the pool — it’s more dynamic.”

Applications were up 21 percent this year, Bishop said.

Bishop traced this to the implementation of new recruiting programs.

“We have done, in the last four years, we have built a new model of recruitment, with earlier contact,” Bishop said.

“We invested in a new customer relations software, and we are starting to use that in a more personalized way, in more contact with our prospect pool — better relationship development.”

Bishop said he also believed this rise to be due to the message and spirit of Notre Dame, he said.

“We have a value-centered approach, not just to selection but also how students are selecting us — we talk about coming to Notre Dame and not just being at a top 15 college in selectivity, but being at a school where you’re going to make a difference in the world, where you’re going to be a force for good,” Bishop said.

“We talk a lot about the philosophy of Notre Dame, not just the quality of Notre Dame. It’s that added on philosophy of service to others and, if you will, the ‘goodness’ factor that some group of students really find compelling and they trust that.

They believe that Notre Dame is very unique in that, and Notre Dame becomes their only school.”

Contact Kayla Mullen at kmullen2@nd.edu

Ricketts nominated Eisele for the position after a thorough interview process.

“Alex has been a good friend of many of the members of Student Government. … We talked to her about her experiences with the It’s On Us Campaign and GreenDot and her involvement with that,” Ricketts said. “We were very impressed with the way that, even though she wasn’t formerly involved in student government, she really took to heart the messages of the campaign.”

Members of Senate proceeded to discuss and pass sophomore

Rome Continued from page 1

internationalization, said the purchase would expand current study abroad programming and research in Rome.

“The purchase of the villa expands the horizon of possibilities both for the Gateway and for the longstanding Notre Dame architecture program

Sara Dugan, Parliamentarian, as an acting and non-voting member of Judicial Council’s election committee.

This order was due to the fact that Ricketts and Zach Waterson, Judicial Council president, are currently searching for a new Director of Internal Affairs, a position previously held by sophomore student body vice-presidential candidate Rebecca Blais.

Dugan’s role will include impartially advising the election committee on all constitutional matters, effective immediately, due to her extensive knowledge of the

in Rome,” Etrikin said. “The University’s strategic and wise investment in the villa will greatly increase student and faculty opportunities for study and research in the heart of the Eternal City.”

Theodore J. Cachey Jr., academic director of the Rome Global Gateway, described the history of the building, which was purchased for an undisclosed amount.

Follow us on Twitter. @NDSMCObserver

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student government Constitution.

Junior Isabel Fox, Ryan Hall Senator, expressed concern towards Dugan being the roommate of Blais, sensing a possible conflict of interest.

Waterson stated that Dugan will have a “fairly minor role” and will help the election committee understand the context of the Constitution’s clauses in the case that there is a violation of election rules and procedures.

Contact Justine Wang at jwang27@nd.edu

“It was built in 1913 by the Duchess of Pontalto, and the family of the Count of Loschiavo lived there during the early 1900s,” he said.

“When Italy’s racial laws led to the eviction of Jewish children from the Italian schools in 1938, the Jewish Community of Rome used it as a school. The Italian Military Police took up residence there from 1940 until recent times.”

News

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, january 28, 2016 | The Observer

Exhibit Continued from page 1

The ex hibition features a range of content, from a series of photographs documenting a character’s struggle w ith an x iet y to textile pieces depicting how the env ironment transforms over time to sculptures linking all humans back to a common foundation. Weaver said students should take advantage of this opportunity to view their professor’ work.

“I believe it is important that the students have realworld examples of artists who make work,” Weaver said. “It is also important for them to see that the concepts we speak about in class aren’t just abstract, but are realized in the objects and images that faculty produces.”

Sophomore Mia Kincaid said attending the reception showed her the importance of supporting an artist’s journey from beginning to end.

“I’ve seen so many professors’ work in progress, so to see it now as part of a total piece is even more impressive,” Kincaid said. “The finished product is really cool.

Seeing this is almost like seeing a lot of problems that have been solved in some creative way.”

Kincaid said she understands the courage it takes to display one’s work, due to the fact that her art major requires her to submit a portfolio review each semester.

“That’s kind of a harrowing experience because you’re putting yourself out there,” Kincaid said. “Seeing your professors do the same is knowing that they are being as conscious as you are in your art. It’s like they had the same sort of feelings as you do.”

According to Kincaid, even those who do not intend to

major in art should visit the exhibition, for they can gain a better appreciation for different forms of artistic expression.

“Creative thinking is needed for any kind of major,” Kincaid said. “I think art in general is a big part of the community here.”

Junior Amy Harmon said she enjoyed watching her professors be the center of attention for once, since they normally focus on helping the class.

“It’s kind of like seeing masters in action because they spend all their time improving their students, but we don’t usually get to see them just working for themselves,” Harmon said. “It’s cool to see stuff that they’re proud of. It’s good to see them in action.”

Junior Brigid Feasel said she recognizes art as a valuable form of self-expression, so she especially appreciates that this exhibition grants her the chance to see work from professionals.

“It’s one thing to hear them tell us about art, but it’s another to actually be shown what their ideas are,” Feasel said. “There are so many different ways to express yourself. Art is interdisciplinary.”

Students should embrace art’s ability to transform them as they encounter it in daily tasks, such as visiting this exhibition, according to Weaver.

“In art, we have emotion, intellect, fear, awe, humor and many other forms of expression,” Weaver said. “In our contemporary world, where ref lection and space and consideration of what is communicated isn’t always a priority for some, art is even more important. That is something we don’t ever want to lose.”

5

MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer

Students and faculty observe artwork created by Saint Mary’s faculty. The exhibit promotes the importance of creative thinking and allowed professionals the chance to showcase their personal work.

MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer

Contact Martha Reilly at mreilly01@saintmarys.edu

Exhibit visitors look at paintings, sculptures and photographs at Saint Mary’s Moreau Galleries Wednesday. Through their artwork, professors attempt to show the interdisciplinary nature of art.

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Campaign Continued from page 1

does that play into the primary and, more importantly, the general election?

VPM: Given the blockbuster cases that have been or will be decided before November, I expect we will hear quite a bit about the Supreme Court and the type of justice each candidate would appoint. Perhaps it’s because it’s still relatively early, but I’m surprised we have not heard more about how a Cruz presidency coupled with a Republican Senate might actually lead to a reversal of the Court’s decision to protect same-sex marriage. That’s a long shot for any number of reasons, but given that Justice Ginsburg is 82 and Justice Breyer is 77, it’s not out of the question. And if Hillary Clinton were to win and Justice Scalia were to leave the Court (he is 79), the Court would surely move to the left, likely

ensuring another generation of constitutional protection for abortion.

ROG: There are a number of important Supreme Court decisions that have happened under the Obama administration, many of which Republicans have called unconstitutional, and we’re hearing a lot about it during the debates. Does this end up being a long-term issue?

VPM: Supreme Court decisions are almost always a long-term issue, which is one of the reasons why they are so important.

ROG: In your research and opinion, what do you think will be the most important issue in the general election?

VPM: President Obama’s reelection in 2012 was the first time in my political lifetime (thankfully, I’m too young to remember Jimmy Carter) that the country elected a progressive president. In 2008, Obama presented himself

as “post-partisan,” but that wasn’t possible or plausible in 2012. In November, we will find out if the country wants to continue down a progressive path.

ROG: Taking it back to college campuses, particularly here at Notre Dame, what issues do you think students need to be paying attention to in the coming months?

VPM: Since gay rights and religious freedom (not to mention free speech, affirmative action and campaign finance reform) are significantly impacted by the judiciary, understanding the type of judges and Supreme Court justices a candidate would appoint is critically important if one wants to vote intelligently on these issues. This, of course, is one of the reasons we started the Constitutional Studies Minor.

Contact Rachel O’Grady at rogrady@nd.edu

6

The observer | thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

Disingenuous Donald

Inside Column

Our failing schools Alex Carson Associate Sports Editor

When I came to Notre Dame five semesters ago, I don’t think I would’ve considered it. Even now, I’m not sure I will when I’m done getting my education.

But I want to teach high school.

Given one requirement though: That I’m doing so in a student-oriented environment. Unfortunately at most places in this country, both in public and private education, that simply isn’t the case. And that’s an issue.

I’m an Indiana native, so I’ve seen firsthand how backward policies from our statehouse do irreparable damage to the education system. From budget cuts to open enrollment and vouchers through the introduction of more money into the charter school system, and out of the public one, it’s been one blow after another to education — and it’s piled up as schools across Indiana are facing teacher shortages.

Of course, this isn’t anything new. When the United States overemphasized standardized testing as part of “No Child Left Behind,” a policy geared more toward public policy and evaluation rather than inward toward students, it started a nasty trend that’s spiraled out of control. In many classrooms, our teachers are forced to teach their students how to do well on the year-end assessment, not the content that’s actually vital to make academic progress. And in enough of them, even if teachers wanted to do the latter, they couldn’t, as too-large class sizes prohibit educators from properly educating each individual student.

And it goes beyond standardized testing. Take open enrollment, a policy in Indiana in which students can attend schools that “open their doors” outside their home district. It’s a great theory from education reform buffs: If a school isn’t performing well, perhaps another will be, taking the students from the former school. It increases school choice for families who may live in a poor school system.

What’s not to love?

My response? Why don’t we focus on making every school in the state a quality one for students to attend, rather than furthering a gap between rich and poor?

The same goes for charter schools, which primarily serve to line the pockets of the political donors — sorry, businessmen — that run them, not the students. In Indianapolis, plenty of charter schools fail to outperform their traditional public counterparts; and those that do see large enrollment drops from year to year after kids can’t handle the work and are run off from the school.

Our state prioritized loaning money to charter schools over public ones in the last cycle, allowing charters to “borrow” tens of millions just two years after the state paid off $90 million in charter school loans.

And none of it gets into the damage open enrollment, vouchers and charter schools do to local communities, deemphasizing the role of schools as being at the center of a community’s spirit.

Education needs a bigger reform than 500 words allows for. But at the core, let’s start down a different path: Doing what’s best for the students we’re supposed to serve. Not administrators, legislators or their campaign donors.

Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Eddie Damstra Dinner Table Talks

Donald Trump is a political phenomenon. The 69-year-old billionaire can seemingly insult anyone he wants without fear of his poll numbers suffering.

Thousands come to see him speak. We are told this is because Trump says “whatever he wants.” There seems to be a belief that Mr. Trump just speaks his mind, without utilizing a political filter. Even the most avid Donald Trump haters seem to concede this point. The general consensus seems to be that Donald Trump is inexperienced, repulsive and narcissistic, but, at the very least, he is authentic. However, in reality, calling Trump “authentic” could not be more of a mischaracterization of the businessman. In fact, in addition to the aforementioned characteristics given to Trump, one should also include “inauthentic.”

Trump’s soaring poll numbers cannot be solely explained by an angry sentiment felt amongst a faction of the Republican party. There is a much larger factor that plays into Trump’s political invincibility: deception. While all politicians pander to their political bases, Trump does so more severely and more deceptively. Most of what he says he either does not believe or knows to be impossible.

In Trump’s book “The America We Deserve” from 2000, he advocated for waiting periods and an assault weapons ban; he now opposes nearly any gun control measure, even the expansion of background checks.

In a 1999 interview on “Meet the Press,” Trump said he believed in “universal healthcare;” he now calls Obamacare “a disaster” and labels it unconstitutional.

Donald clearly defined himself as “pro-choice in every respect” in that same “Meet the Press” interview 17 years ago; he now claims to be a staunch pro-life advocate. Trump has donated money to Hillary Clinton’s campaigns and her foundation, invited her to his wedding and complimented her senatorial skills; he now makes sure to ridicule her at every chance, even saying that she was “the worst secretary of state in the history of our nation.” The man was a Democrat seven years ago for heaven’s sake.

To be honest, I am not sure what Trump believes or where he truly falls on the political spectrum.

However, I know for sure that the severity of his conservatism can be questioned based on his past political positions. Nonetheless, he recognizes that in order to win votes, he must appeal to the very conservative base of Republican primary voters, and he does so better than anyone else. He utilizes peoples’ anger by creating scapegoats, namely Mexicans and Muslims.

He says Mexicans are rapists and murderers and that

Muslims should be unable to enter this country based on their religious identity. He spews this hateful rhetoric because right now many are angry, and he knows that taking advantage of that anger can garner support for his campaign.

Trump also promises things that he must know to be impossible. The prime example of this is his promise to build a wall that covers the U.S.–Mexico border and have Mexico pay for it. The spokesman for the Mexican president has already delivered a statement saying that Mexico would never pay for the wall, and that the Mexican government does not take statements made by the Trump campaign seriously.

Mr. Trump must know that he is running most of his campaign on an empty promise, but he does not seem to care. He knows his promise, while it may be empty, can win a lot of votes.

Unfortunately, Trump’s strategy is not unique. A lot of politicians pander for votes. Many politicians say things they do not believe, deliver false promises and take advantage of voters’ emotions. The difference between Trump and other candidates, however, is that Trump is acting identical to nearly every politician while simultaneously garnering enormous support for not being a politician. In other words, Trump is essentially a politician who gets support for not being a politician. I understand that Trump does not practice politics as a career, which would define a politician. However, “politician” in the modern age is often viewed as a dirty word, synonymous with “fraud,” “liar” and “inauthentic.” In that sense of the word “politician,” Donald Trump meets the criteria perfectly.

The true miracle behind the Trump campaign is his ability to fake authenticity. Ask any Trump supporter and they will most likely tell you that they love the fact that Donald is a political outsider, not dirtied by the corruption and dishonesty of politics. The sad reality is that these Trump supporters are simply being played by the billionaire. Donald Trump is even more disingenuous than the average politician.

So go ahead, vote for Donald because you liked “The Apprentice.” Vote for him because you like his hotels.

Vote for him because you like his mysterious hair. But please, whatever you do, do not vote for him because you find him authentic.

Eddie Damstra is a freshman from Orland Park, Illinois. He is majoring in political science and is considering attending law school after his time as an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame. He can be reached at edamstra@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer Observer.

Quote of the day

“I’ve come to terms with the fact that uncertainty is an inescapable corollary of life. An abundance of mystery is simply part of the bargain.”

Jon Krakauer Writer and mountaineer

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All my students don’t need a Pulitzer Courtney Phelan English Major in the Real World

To become an elementar y school teacher, you major in education. To become a secondar y school (middle or high school) teacher, you major in the subject you want to teach and earn a minor in secondar y education. W hile teaching English at the secondar y level isn’t the only use for a degree in English, it’s mine. I want to be a middle school English and language arts teacher.

W hen I tell this to people for the first time, I often get looks of confusion and the simple question, “W hy? ” Recently, when ta lk ing w ith a woman in one of my non-English classes, she told me that she hated English and language arts in school.

“I’m not good at w riting. A nd a ll my English teachers expected me to like, w in the Pulitzer or something.”

So I want to ma ke this nice and clear: A ll my future students don’t need to w in a Pulitzer.

Assuming that I’ll have the career I aspire toward, I’ll teach thousands of students during my time in the classroom. A nd I would hate myself if ever y single one of those thousands of students became a professiona l w riter or literar y scholar.

I don’t want to teach English and language arts because I think that ever y person on this earth needs to go into an English- or language arts-based career. I want my future students to be entrepreneurs, farmers, doctors, nurses, cosmetologists, law yers, socia l workers, architects, construction workers, therapists, civ il engineers,

computer engineers, mechanics, professiona l artists, actors, musicians, public ser vants and any thing else they can be.

So why do I still want to teach English if I don’t want thousands of future authors of Sha kespeare critiques? Because I want my students to learn the sk ills of using the English language and be able to apply those sk ills in whatever they chose to do. English is more of a sk ill-building class, like math, than a content-based class, like histor y or biolog y. Just like math teachers teach students how to multiply and div ide so they can eventua lly determine unit prices or how much paint they need to buy, I want to teach English so that my students can apply the sk ills I’ve taught them to ma ke their lives better.

I’m not going to teach Sha kespeare’s “Julius Caesar” because intricate k nowledge of the characters and plot is crucia l information for ever yday life, like k now ing who won the A merican Civ il War or k now ing not to mi x bleach and ammonia.

I want to teach “Caesar” so that my students can recognize verba l irony so they don’t share articles from The Onion on Facebook thinking that it’s serious. I want to teach “Caesar” so that my students can see and learn to recognize equivocation so that they don’t get ta ken advantage of in the future. I want to assign my students essays about “Caesar” so that they can practice gathering ev idence and arranging it in a persuasive manner, so that they can someday gather ev idence to conv ince their boss that their team’s blueprint is the best one for the company.

I want to ma ke my students give a short speech in front of the class like A ntony’s, so that one

day, they’re not scared to stand up in front of a room full of people and give instructions.

Quite simply, I want to teach English because I want my students to be able to use language effectively. W hen you start think ing about it, you use the sk ills that you learned in English classes ever y day. Think about reply ing to this column, for example. You have to weigh the pros and cons of responding and whether you agree or disagree. You have to determine what exactly you liked or didn’t like, and to give your argument weight, why you like or didn’t like it — did I not prov ide ev idence? Do you have anecdotes or ev idence about ev il English teachers that contradict what I say here? Were my arguments logica lly inva lid? Was I so disorganized that you were able to read what I was say ing?

You then have to organize what’s on your mind into some form of coherent language. You then have to t y pe it in using some form of spelling, grammar and sy nta x so others can understand what you’re say ing. You have to decide what you want to emphasize and how you’re going to do that. You should probably proofread to ma ke sure that I understand what you’re say ing.

So if you want to disagree w ith me, go a head and w rite me a long, detailed, well-researched comment or email about why you disagree.

You’ll be ma k ing your middle school language arts teacher proud.

Courtney Phelan is a junior English major living in Le Mans Hall. All she wants is for her cats to be proud of her someday. She can be reached at cphela01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Who is walking the walk?

Michael Finan Guest Columnist

Last week, I began my walk to explore diversity and the current issues regarding race in our nation. I had the opportunity to hear the cofounders of Black Lives Matter talk about their movement; listen to the President Emeritus of Notre Dame, Fr. Monk Malloy, C.S.C., share his own ref lections on diversity; and engage with other students in conversations about race. Walk the Walk Week had successfully encouraged me to start walking; however, by the end of the week I had realized that although I was walking, I wasn’t quite sure who was walking with me.

As I listened to Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, the co-founders of Black Lives Matter, I couldn’t help but notice their repeated use of the pronouns “they” and “we”: “They try to limit what we think is possible,” “We have to challenge what they are doing,” “This is the myth that we are sold.” Throughout the talk, I kept thinking to myself where I belonged within this dichotomy. Was I a part of them? Or was I a part of we?

W hen I got back to my dorm room, I decided to visit the Black Lives Matter website, looking for some direction. I wondered what solutions the movement offered to create more unity between races — to resolve the differences between we and them and replace the two divisive pronouns with a more inclusive one that everyone could belong to regardless of their race.

To my dismay, the movement seemed to offer something quite different. Instead of offering solutions for unity, the website stated that “ … we need less watered down unity and a more active solidarities with us, Black people … ” and pushed aside “ … the worn out and sloppy practice of drawing lazy parallels of unity between peoples

with vastly different experiences and histories.”

Later in the week, I came across a viewpoint published in The Observer two days after the co-founders of Black Lives Matter spoke at Notre Dame, titled “It’s time to walk the walk.” The viewpoint, which was addressed only to white people, stated that “once we accept our white privilege we can learn to see that we, collectively, are the oppressors.” At the same time, the author called on me and other white people to “use the platform of our skin to help incite change.”

After attending the Black Lives Matter talk and reading the follow-up Observer opinion piece, I found that these particular elements of Walk the Walk Week were successful in bringing more attention to the division that exists between races but had failed in bringing us all together to address and resolve this division as a united community. I found myself searching for ways to become a part of the solution in working towards unity that transcends race, but instead I felt that I was only being labeled as part of the problem.

That’s why the new addition to LaFortune featuring the iconic picture of Martin Luther King, Jr., interlocking arms with our very own Fr. Ted stood out to me so much. To me, it starkly contrasted with the us-versus-them mentality I had heard from Ms. Cullors and Ms. Tometi and was a demonstration that issues of race in our nation could be addressed by all of us together.

There was no we or them in the photo. There was no platform in the photo. There were only two men standing side by side, fighting for a world in which differences in race bring us closer together, not farther apart.

As I finished reading the viewpoint in The Observer, I began to find solace as the author encouraged more conversation, mentioning how nothing will ever change if no one enters this uncomfortable dialogue. I want to enter this

dialogue. But in having this dialogue, let us not point to race so as to further divide ourselves but to come closer together so that all of us can figure out the best way to break down the current divide between races.

I don’t want to be the oppressor; I want to help the oppressed. I don’t want to stand on a platform; I want to stand on the same ground as everyone else. I completely agree that all lives must matter equally, I completely agree that in the past black lives have not mattered equally in practice, and I completely agree that this needs to change.

However, I think the way in which we engage in this conversation is important. In having this dialogue, let us be wary of mistakenly widening the divide by letting the conversation become too fixated on pitting ourselves against each other and reducing ourselves to fit into one of two categories: either us or them. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet people of many different races, and all of us are much more than a rigid dichotomy.

I truly hope that this dialogue on race can ref lect the inspiring picture of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Fr. Ted that now resides in LaFortune — a dialogue not centered on an us-versus-them mentality that divides all of us further, but one that brings us closer together.

So who is walking the walk? Are they walking the walk? Are we walking the walk? Let’s all begin to walk together, so that all of us can head towards that more perfect place where no division exists between races and all lives truly matter equally. Let’s walk the walk — together.

Michael Finan is a sophomore double-majoring in economics and political science. He can be reached at mfinan@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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LUCY DU | The Observer

The observer | thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

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The observer | thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

By ERIN McAULIFFE Scene Editor

“No film maker has ever successfully brought the audience inside the mind or central nervous system of a character — something that even bad novelists are able to accomplish as a matter of routine,” Tom Wolfe stated in his 1973 anthology “The New Journalism.”

This quote mulled in my mind as I watched the richly blanched color schemes of “Carol” play out in fashion and setting on a screen at Cincinnati’s Esquire theatre — an establishment pleasantly cloaked in nostalgia.

The early 1950s setting onscreen (filmed, fittingly, in Cincinnati) and my tangibly passé surroundings brought me back to the basement of Henry Pordes Used Books in London, where I first picked up Wolfe’s work. I devoured his words in a state of heightened romanticism, facilitated by the enticingly musty smell of yellowed pages and ripe ink that wafted around me in the bookstore’s cellar.

“The makers of such movies usually run up the flags of defeat by finally having someone, via voice-over or on screen, recite great chunks of the novel itself, as if in the hope that this will recapture the power of the goddamned book,” Wolfe continued. “The power, unfortunately for them, is completely wrapped up in the unique physiological relationship between written language and memory.”

However, as I sat in my antiquated red velvet seat, my mind was both surrounded by words back in the in the bookstore

By MATTHEW MACKE Scene Writer

Somewhere around halfway through listening to Future’s surprise mixtape, “Purple Reign,” I realized I had made a big mistake. Not only in offering to review it, but in deciding to listen to it at all.

Before I go any further, if you are an unapologetic trap fan, chances are you will enjoy this album. For better or for worse, it does little to break away from the typical trap formula: driving base and cyclic verses. Future fans in particular will probably find this mixtape to be an acceptable, if fairly unexciting, outing for the artist.

Me, I can only take so much slurred AutoTune-rapping over a throbbing baseline before I want to throw my headphones at the wall.

“Purple Reign” starts painlessly enough, with a recording of “ESCOMOE THE COOLEST DJ IN THE WORLD!” It takes all of 45 seconds for DJ Esco, a member of Future’s Freebandz record label and one

memory and enticingly entwined and invested in an onscreen relationship facilitated by everything but words.

“Carol” is a movie rooted in movement: A faint shoulder brush is mused over in the recipient’s mind, perhaps interpreted as closer to a caress; a car is driven off in ambivalence while one watches in static longing; a road trip progresses the plot toward climax. “Carol” is a movie you watch over a movie you hear.

This is where a foggy glass, quickly gathering condensation through hot breaths, blurs Wolfe’s statement on point of view in films.

“Carol” is not a film entrenched in dialogue — and rightly so. Set in 1952, the story revolves not only around the love affairs of a woman whose divorce papers have yet to be drawn, they revolve around the love affairs of this woman with another woman.

To center the still-married mom as the plot’s focus seems fitting; however, “Carol” is posed through the point of view of Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), the timid counterpart to the self-assured Carol (Cate Blanchett) who channels Margot Tenenbaum as a striking vision in fur with blonde-hair and a nervous smoking habit. Carol’s status is evoked through her stature, restaurant orders and gift giving — she’s regal, stately, elegant.

Their love affair proceeds in a manner akin to the train set Therese sells Carol in their first interaction: a closed circuit loop that incurs stops and additional baggage throughout the journey. Carol and Therese are train cars — men and 1950s

society (that is the patriarchy) the tracks — ultimately their destinations are as certain as the next stop. To deviate is to derail.

Their relationship initially exists in strain as eyelids flitter and fingers nervously trace martini glasses. The dialogue remains scattered at best, warranting some discrepancies when Therese declares to her boyfriend that Carol is the only person she can truly talk to — ironically, due to the time’s suppressing social norms, Carol is the only person she truly cannot be seen talking to.

However strained the conversations come off, the point of view warrants intent in viewing. As the American dream has long prompted society to buttress the underdog, the viewer is vested in Therese’s outcome: Carol will get what she wants — the story lies in if that “what” is Therese.

Haynes utilizes the flux aspect of the plot to modulate and elicit satisfaction and torment in the audience as they watch the progression of the romance.

“Carol” is the first film Haynes has directed that he did not write himself.

The screenplay is based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel “The Price of Salt,” which she published under the pseudonym Claire Morgan in 1952. (Notably, she published “Strangers on a Train” in 1950, and Hitchcock directed the film adaptation in 1951.)

As noted, “Carol” is a quiet movie, and quiet can prove disquieting. In contrast, the climax of the film comes in sound: the screen black as the pair finally succumbs to their desires.

The film allows the viewer to interpret what Carol and Therese are feeling through their expressions and actions, however, Carol painfully calls out the disconnect a mind undefined can cause when she demands Therese to tell her what she’s thinking as they drive along in crippling silence.

Therese fumbles with words and notes the selfish aspect in her spontaneously affirmative decisions. The conversation drew similarities between criminal and amorous minds: Both are constantly and obsessively preoccupied, both are irrational, and both are dangerous and occasionally armed — or at least disarming.

I would be remiss if not to elaborate on the supreme visual appeal of the film, shot on Super 16 mm. film stock. Ed Lockeman, the film’s director of photography, won the prestigious Golden Frog for his work.

Perhaps it was the influence of the camera consistently in Therese’s hands throughout the film that had me feeling as if I was strolling through a photography gallery at a predetermined pace. The work in the film was influenced by Saul Leiter, a New York-based photographer in the 1940s and 50s who shot in color and usually through glass to stress “the specificity of space and time.”

Remarkably, “Carol” proves Wolfe’s theory on point of view in films moot: The film’s ability to tackle the amorous mind through visuals not expressed in statements elevates it beyond words.

of the tape’s executive producers, to introduce himself. He will continue to remind you who he is, and that he is the “coolest DJ on the m---------- planet,” at random intervals for the rest of the album. Esco is almost exclusively responsible for dropping this album from “not my thing” status to “Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee.”

Following that initial Esco interjection, Future takes the mic to croon the pedestrian “All Right.” It’s a weak money-and-drugs ode that stands as the mediocre opening number to a thoroughly horrendous mixtape. If I were inclined to recommend one track to sample (which I am not), I would suggest checking out the mixtape’s penultimate number, “Perkys Calling,” a sobering song about addiction and drug money.

If you were hoping that the remaining songs would provide the deep psychological insight you have come to expect from trap music, the genre that brought you the philosopher Chief Keef, you would be disappointed.

The album never gets much deeper thematically than its drug slinging exterior.

There are occasional glimpses of what this album could have been. Some songs and verses hint at a more introspective artist, the same artist that shone through in last year’s critically acclaimed album “DS2.”

Unfortunately, those sentiments are never fleshed out into any sort of meaningful message or social commentary. For example, “Never Forget,” the fourth track of this most recent outing, includes several allusions to Future’s troubled childhood (“By the time I was seven, my Uncle Wayne was in prison”) and personal tragedy (“I had to take a loss so I could cherish this s---”), but none of these stories end up revealing what is going on in the rapper’s mind.

To his credit, Nayvadius Wilburn (a.k.a.

Future) had a prolific 2015. He released three mixtapes: “Beast Mode” in January, “56 Nights” in March, and “What a Time to Be Alive,” his collaboration with Drake, in September. Somehow, he also found time to release his third studio album, “DS2,” in

July. What makes that incredible productivity even more impressive is the fact that almost all of those projects were received with varying degrees of critical acclaim.

(His song “F--- Up Some Commas” earned one of the most prestigious awards in music: inclusion in Scene’s Best Songs of 2015 list.)

Given that he drew so much praise for both the quantity and quality of his music last year, Future can probably be forgiven for releasing one dud.

Then again, perhaps Mr. Wilburn is saving his best work for later in the year. A few days after releasing “Purple Reign” Future tweeted, “Ain done yet *umbrella with rain drops* pre warm up … get ready.”

Whether that tweet makes you giddy with excitement, or nauseous, largely depends on how you feel about trap music.

For my part, I’m going to be more careful about the albums I agree to review.

Contact Erin McAuliffe at emcaulif@nd.edu

Contact Matthew Macke at mmacke@nd.edu LUCY DU | The Observer

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DAILY

The observer | Thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Consistency and forward motion will help you achieve whatever you set out to do. Size up whatever situation you face and be quick to take action rather than waste time arguing. Actions will speak louder than words, and what you do now will set the stage for years to come. Stay focused on your goals and don’t stop until you reach your destination. Your numbers are 7, 12, 20, 26, 34, 39, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t give up on the changes you want to make. A disciplined attitude will help you finish what you started, as well as ease your stress and take your mind off any negative situations you are facing.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Believe in your abilities. Step up to the podium and voice your opinions. Standing up for your beliefs and sharing practical solutions will put you in a good position. Romance is on the rise, and celebrating your success is encouraged.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Good intentions will not cut it if you don’t follow through. Don’t let anyone lead you astray with gossip or rumors that aren’t based on facts. Emotional concerns about a partner or older person in your life will cause uncertainty.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You’ll have plenty of opportunities to mix business with pleasure if you host an event or attend a networking function.

Your charming demeanor will attract attention as well as make those you love proud of your accomplishments.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t waste time. Keep the momentum going and head in a direction that promises to bring about positive change. Don’t let jealousy turn into a costly loss. Think outside the box and you’ll find a workable solution.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Enjoy the youngsters in your life or plan a romantic adventure with someone you are deeply in love with. The attention you pay to others will result in an unexpected, unique response. Plan a vacation around something you find entertaining.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t let anyone put you down or control your life.

Make decisions based on what works for you, and if change is required to find the peace you need in your life, take the initiative and make it happen.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Make your home a place for interesting people to gather. Surrounding yourself with eclectic decorations and talented people will allow you to hold court and become a leader. Romance will help stabilize an important relationship.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll face plenty of interference if you are too vocal about what you are up to. Make changes while no one is watching.

It’s best to avoid people who confuse you or are known to be a poor influence.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t wait to see what everyone else is doing.

If you want something, go after it. Don’t let a last-minute change of plans alter your course. Follow your heart and your dreams, and head in whatever direction makes you happy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Helping others will exhaust you. Taking on more than you can handle will result in ill feelings between you and the person counting on you. Make your position clear and don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by your problems. Quarreling will not resolve the problem.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Get involved in something that concerns you, or offer support to someone you love. Your gesture will raise your awareness of important issues. Love is highlighted, and a romantic encounter will lead to a brighter future. Make a commitment.

Birthday Baby: You are practical, goal-oriented and proactive. You are intuitive and reliable.

just add water | eric carlson & john roddy

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

fling by spring | riley mcCURRIE

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sports

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, january 28, 2016 | The Observer

NCAA women’s basketball | maryland 89, penn state 53

Sports Authority

Super Bowl teams show turnaround Michael Ivey Sports Writer

On Sunday, the Broncos and Panthers won their respective conference championships and punched their ticket to play each other in the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. It will be a record tying eighth all-time Super Bowl trip for the Broncos and the second time in franchise history for the Panthers. It also shows how much can change during a five-year period.

The Panthers and the Broncos finished with the two worst records in the NFL at the end of the 2010 season, which means those two teams got the first two picks in the 2011 NFL Draft.

The Panthers selected quarterback Cam Newton with the first overall pick and the Broncos selected linebacker Von Miller with the second overall pick.

These picks were the first step of both franchises to walk back into relevance.

After finishing with the worst record in the league, the Panthers fired head coach John Fox (who was then hired by the Broncos) and hired Ron Rivera to be their new head coach.

Rivera and Newton led the newlook Panthers to 6-10 and 7-9 final records in their first two seasons. After their first season with Rivera and Newton, the Panthers selected linebacker Luke Kuechly with the ninth overall pick at the 2012 NFL Draft. Kuechly was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after his rookie season.

After the 2012 season, there were rumors the Panthers would fire Rivera due to the team losing so many close games, but the Panthers decided to keep him.

The Panthers finished the 2013 season with a 12-4 record, the second best in the NFC conference, but lost their first playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. Rivera was named the NFL Coach of the Year, and Kuechly was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Despite a substantially worse 7-8-1 record the following year, the Panthers made the playoffs and won their first game against the Cardinals before losing to the Seahawks in their second game.

This season, the Panthers dominated their way to a 15-1 record and wins against the

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Seahawks and Cardinals in the playoffs to advance to the Super Bowl. Rivera is a Coach of the Year candidate again, and Newton is a candidate for league MVP. The Broncos took a different road back to relevance.

With new coach John Fox and quarterbacked by Tim Tebow, the Broncos finished the 2011 season with an 8-8 record and made the playoffs. It was the first of five consecutive playoff appearances for the Broncos.

The Broncos won their first playoff game against the Steelers in overtime before losing their next game to the Patriots. After the season, the Broncos signed legendary quarterback and free-agent Peyton Manning and traded Tebow to the Jets.

The Broncos finished 13-3 in their first season with Manning before being upset in their first playoff game by the Ravens.

The next season, the Broncos finished again finished the regular season with a 13-3 record and advanced all the way to the Super Bowl, where they were promptly destroyed by the Seahawks, 43-8.

The Broncos finished the 2014 season with a 12-4 record before being upset in the first game of the playoffs again, this time

by Manning’s former team, the Colts. The day after that game, the Broncos and John Fox mutually agreed to part ways. A week later, former Broncos player Gary Kubiak was hired to be the new coach. This season, Kubiak led the Broncos to a 12-4 record and wins over the Steelers and the Patriots to advance to the Super Bowl against the Broncos.

Miller was the star of the Broncos’ win over the Patriots, recording five tackles, two-anda-half sacks and an interception.

He leads the Broncos into the Super Bowl with the best defense in the NFL. If you’re a fan of a not so good NFL team like I am — damn you, Chicago Bears, for trading Greg Olsen to the Panthers for a third-round pick — just look at these two teams as examples of what’s possible in a few short years.

Contact Michael Ivey at mivey1@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland rout Penn State Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 25 points to help No. 5 Mar yland rout Penn State 89-53 on Wednesday night.

Brionna Jones scored 17 points and added 12 rebounds for the Terrapins who won their sixth straight game.

Unbeaten on the road so far this season, Mar yland (18-2, 7-1 Big Ten) looked right at home inside Penn State’s Br yce Jordan Center.

The Terrapins made 8 of 13 field goals to open a 2112 first-quarter lead. Most of those makes rolled off the fingertips of WalkerKimbrough who found her shot immediately. She had 12 points in the first quarter and 17 in the first half.

She made five of her first six shots for 12 first-quarter points and finished the first half with 17. Mar yland led 39-24 at halftime but not before a Penn State surge that saw the Nittany Lions

tie the game early in the second quarter. Four Penn State players combined to lead a 9-0 run to pull to a 2121 tie four minutes in. But the Terrapins took the lead for good on a pair of Brianna Fraser free throws moments later. Fraser’s makes sparked Mar yland after a sluggish second-quarter start and the Terrapins took control with an 18-3 run.

Mar yland never trailed.

Lindsey Spann led Penn State with 14 points while Teniya Page added 10 for the Nittany Lions who couldn’t pull out of their cold-shooting slump as the third quarter began.

Meanwhile, Jones dominated down low with Penn State for ward W hitted in foul trouble. Jones scored in the paint on back-toback possessions prompting Penn State coach Coquese Washington to send W hitted back out. Jones added another basket to push Mar yland’s lead to 48-26.

The Terrapins extended

that to as many as 39 points with 3:42 to play when Tierney Pfirman hit a jumper. Walker-Kimbrough played just 11 minutes in the second half and finished one point shy of her careerhigh 26 points.

TIP-INS Maryland: W hile Penn State owns a 14-11 edge in the series, it has been onesided in Maryland’s favor lately. The Terrapins won their third straight game against the Nittany Lions and are unbeaten against them since joining the Big Ten. Penn State: The 39-point deficit was the Nittany Lions’ biggest margin of defeat so far this season. Their previous was a 22-point loss to No. 20 South Florida on Dec. 6.

UP NEXT No. 5 Maryland hosts Indiana on Saturday.

Penn State hosts Purdue on Saturday.

NCAA men’s basketball | butler 67, DePaul 53

Butler ousts DePaul for second time this month Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Roosevelt Jones scored 23 points and Butler defeated DePaul 67-53 on Wednesday night.

Jones was 7 of 11 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line for the Bulldogs (14-6, 3-5 Big East), who made 25 of 29 free throws to 6 of 13 for the Blue Demons (7-13, 1-7).

Kellen Dunham made three 3-point attempts and scored 16 points while Andrew Chrabascz added 10.

Tommy Hamilton had four 3-pointers and 13 points for DePaul. Eli Cain also scored 13 points with Myke Henry adding 12.

Henry had a 3-pointer and jumper to cut Butler’s lead to 56-47 with 5:35 left but

Jones scored Butler’s next five points for a 12-point advantage, 61-49, and the Bulldogs kept their lead in double figures as DePaul missed its next six field-goal attempts.

Butler beat DePaul 7772 on Jan. 6 on the Blue Demons’ f loor.

Indiana State Missouri State 59

68,

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Khristian Smith had 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists as Indiana State beat Missouri State 68-59 on Wednesday night.

Smith scored seven straight Indiana State points late in the second half, capped by a 3-point play, for a 61-52 lead.

Jarred Dixon made three

free throws with 1:03 left to cut Missouri State’s deficit to 63-57, but Devonte Brown answered with two free throws for an eight-point lead.

Brown added 15 points on 9-of-10 shooting at the line for Indiana State (12-9, 6-3 Missouri Valley Conference). Brenton Scott had 10 points and Brandon Murphy grabbed 10 rebounds — seven on the offensive end.

Both teams struggled from the f loor, shooting below 38 percent. Indiana State made just 9 of 33 attempts (27 percent) in the first half but hit 47 percent in the second.

Dixon led Missouri State (8-13, 4-5) with 19 points and Dequon Miller added 12.

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Fencing

Irish to return to action after two weeks off

By MAUREEN SCHWENINGER Sports Writer

Notre Dame is set to return to the strip this weekend for the Northwestern Duals, held on Notre Dame’s campus, after two weeks without competition.

The Irish, who sit No. 1 in the women’s rankings and No. 2 in the men’s, were scheduled to fence twice in New York last week, but the St. John’s Duals and NYU Invitational were both cancelled due to Winter Storm Jonas. Irish head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia said it was hard for his team to miss this premier competition.

“Obviously, the team was disappointed to not fence,” Kvaratskhelia said. “We felt we were ready to face great opponents. Some of the teams we were to face have arranged to be here this weekend, plus we have some other tough opponents. Not traveling allows us to have a full week of practice, so we should be ready.”

Although the duals are

not technically at home for the Irish, Northwestern will be hosting the invitational at Castellan Family Fencing Center while their Henry Crown Sports Pavilion undergoes renovations.

Seventeen teams will travel to Notre Dame, including four top-10 teams from each the men’s and women’s side: women’s No. 3 and men’s No. 8 Princeton, women’s No. 6 and men’s No. 7 Ohio State, men’s No. 3 and women’s No. 9 Penn, women’s No. 10 Temple and men’s No. 10 Stanford will all be in attendance.

As reigning ACC champions, Kvaratskhelia said the men’s and women’s teams are preparing for every bout with a championship mentality.

“Fans should expect a tough team that will fight for every touch and every bout,” Kvaratskhelia said.

“The whole season is a build-up.

Every match is important; we want to win them all. But it all builds toward the ACCs, the NCAA regional and the NCAA championships.”

The men’s squad, sitting behind only Columbia in the polls, is led by a pair of sabres, sophomore Jonah Shainberg and senior John Hallsten, while the topranked women’s team sits behind nobody, featuring freshman foilist Sabrina Massialas and senior epee Catherine Lee. Kvaratskhelia highlighted Lee’s leadership at the DeCicco Duals two weeks ago, and said the team will need to rely on its past leaders to remain determined through the end of this season.

“We’re facing some very tough competition,” Kvaratskhelia said. “But our opponents are looking at us and saying the same thing.

All I’m concerned about is for us to have fun and to not let fear get in the way.”

The Irish team takes the strip for the two-day meet Saturday morning at Castellan Family Fencing Center.

Contact Maureen Schweninger at mschweni@nd.edu

nba | pistons 108, 76ers 97

nhl | lightning 1, maples leafs 0

Detroit comes from behind for win over Philadelphia Associated Press

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Andre Drummond had 25 points and 18 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-97 on Wednesday night.

Drummond, who came into the game having gone 1 for 14 from the line in the last two games, even hit seven of his 12 free throws. Reggie Jackson added 27 points, while rookie Stanley Johnson had 18 off the bench.

Jeremi Grant scored 21 points for the Sixers, while Nerlens Noel had 20.

The 76ers played without starters Jahlil Okafor and JaKarr Sampson, who both missed their second game in two nights with the flu.

Without them, the Sixers didn’t have the legs to keep up with Detroit down the stretch. A victory would have given Philadelphia its first two-game winning streak of the season.

Philadelphia led 79-74 going into the fourth, but Johnson’s floater tied it at 86 with 7:31 to play. Johnson scored again on Detroit’s next possession, and Jackson’s 3-pointer put the Pistons up 91-90.

Detroit was within 45-44 at the half, but couldn’t stop Noel early in the third. A

CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer

Junior epee Arthur Le Meur fences during the DeCicco Duals at the Castellan Family Fencing Center at Notre Dame on Jan. 16.

very rare three-point play by Drummond, the worst freethrow shooter in league history, helped Detroit stay in the game, but Isaiah Canaan topped him with a four-point play late in the period.

Noel and Grant outscored the Pistons 14-12 in the first quarter as Philadelphia built an eight-point lead. Even with the Sixers on the second half of a back-to-back, it was Detroit that came out without any energy — something Stan Van Gundy has complained about all year.

The Sixers still led 36-26 with five minutes left in the second, but Detroit’s offense finally showed up while Philadelphia stopped hitting shots. After a huge mistake when Drummond was called for goaltending on a 3-pointer, Detroit narrowed the gap when Jackson pulled up, pump-faked and banked in a buzzer-beating 3.

Both teams failed to break 40 percent from the floor in the half, but the Pistons were able to stay close despite nine turnovers by outscoring the Sixers 11-6 from the free throw line.

Celtics 111, Nuggets 103 BOSTON — Avery Bradley matched his season-high with 27 points, and the Boston

Celtics earned their fourth straight victory with a 111-103 win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.

Kelly Olynyk added 17 points and seven rebounds. Isaiah Thomas finished with 16 points and five assists.

The victory ties a seasonhigh win streak for the Celtics.

Boston took a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter on a last-second 3-point play by Olynyk to end the third.

The Celtics kept attacking, scoring the first seven points of the quarter and growing their cushion to 22 points.

Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton led Denver with 23 apiece.

The Nuggets lost for the fourth time in five games.

They got within 10 points on a dunk by Kenneth Faried with about five minutes remaining.

But the Celtics went on a run again to help secure the win.

Boston led by as many as 13 in the first half, thanks largely to the outside touch of Bradley.

He was 8 of 13 from the field and finished the half with 5 3-pointers.

It picked up the slack for the rest of his teammates, who shot just 11 for 35 combined.

The Nuggets didn’t help their cause with 15 turnovers.

Their giveaways led to 15 Boston points.

Lightning shut out Maple Leafs Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves, Steven Stamkos scored his 21st goal and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 on Wednesday night.

Tampa Bay entered the AllStar break by winning eight of its last nine games.

Jonathan Bernier stopped 28 shots for the Maple Leafs, who have lost nine of 10 (17-2). Toronto has been outscored 31-11 during that stretch.

Stamkos put the Lightning up 1-0 at 4:38 of the first with a shot from the left circle during a power play. The Tampa Bay captain can become a free agent July 1 and there has been ongoing speculation about the possibility of the Toronto area native joining the Maple Leafs next season.

Bernier kept the Maple

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Leafs close with several nice saves, including one on Alex Killorn’s power-play breakaway, as Toronto was outshot 13-0 during the game’s first 12 1/2 minutes, and 17-6 in the first period Toronto had the final five shots of the first, and Byron Froese hit the crossbar in the final minute.

Vasilevskiy turned aside a breakaway shot by Michael Grabner early in the second.

Toronto had seven of the first nine shots during the opening eight minutes of the second.

After Morgan Rielly had a shot go off the crossbar 2 minutes into the third, Dion Phaneuf’s in-close powerplay shot four minutes later was stopped by Vasilevskiy.

It was Vasilevskiy’s first shutout this season and second overall. He got the start in place of Ben Bishop, who will take part in this weekend’s All-Star game.

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, january 28, 2016 | The Observer

Nba | thunder 126, timberwolves 123

ncaa men’s basketball | arkansas 74, texas a&m 71

Thunder squeak by Timberwolves in thriller Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Durant had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and hit two huge shots in the final two minutes to help the Oklahoma City Thunder win a second-straight, fastpaced thriller with a 126-123 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Russell Westbrook had 24 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds, while Enes Kanter had 23 points and 10 boards for the Thunder, who beat the Knicks in overtime the night before. Oklahoma City outrebounded Minnesota 47-31 to go home from a four-game road trip at 3-1.

Zach LaVine scored 35 points on 14-for-17 shooting, Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points, 13 boards and five assists for the Timberwolves.

Minnesota shot 55.6 percent and had 31 assists, but missed 10 free throws.

The Thunder were clinging to a 113-111 lead when Durant hit a 25-foot 3 from the wing.

He then made a jumper in the lane to pad it back to 118113, the second straight night

his late-game heroics helped Oklahoma City escape. In New York, Durant hit the game-tying shot with 16.2 seconds to go, then scored seven in OT to finish with 44 points.

The Thunder didn’t arrive in Minneapolis until 3 a.m. after spending four days in snowy New York and needing extra time to beat the Knicks.

Durant and Westbrook carried the load against the Knicks, combining to play more than 87 minutes and score 74 points to help the Thunder bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Nets.

They were facing the Timberwolves for the third time this month, but Minnesota has been playing with a different energy and pace over the last week to break out of a 1-13 funk.

The young Wolves came out running again, surging out to an eight-point lead on the strength of terrific ball movement and shot-making from LaVine, Towns, Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng.

It was back-and-forth the rest of the way, with one breathtaking sequence in the third quarter in which Wiggins dunked on Durant in transition and Westbrook Paid Advertisement

13

came right back with a 3 from the wing.

LaVine’s fourth 3-pointer of the night gave Minnesota a 99-93 lead early in the fourth, but Kanter scored six straight in a 10-0 run to put Durant in position to close it out.

The Wolves entered the night with the second-best free throw percentage in the NBA, but shot just 64 percent from the line.

TIP-INS Thunder: PG Cameron Payne left the game early in the second quarter with concussion-like symptoms and did not return. He was limited to five minutes. ... Durant topped 20 points for the 33rd straight game, the longest active streak in the league.

Timberwolves: Towns, Wiggins and LaVine were named to the Rising Stars game during All-Star weekend. The Toronto native Wiggins will play on the World team while Towns and LaVine will play for the U.S. team.

Towns has competed internationally for the Dominican Republic because his mom is Dominican. But the NBA put him on the U.S. team because he was born in New Jersey.

Razorbacks upset No. 5 Aggies Associated Press

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Moses Kingsley had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Dusty Hannahs and Anthlon Bell scored 17 apiece and Arkansas ended No. 5 Texas A&M’s 10-game winning streak with a 74-71 victory Wednesday night.

The loss was the first for the Aggies (17-3, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) since a defeat at Arizona State on Dec. 5, ending the school’s longest winning streak since a 13-game stretch during the 2010-11 season.

Bell and Hannahs each hit a trio of 3-pointers for the Razorbacks (10-10, 4-4), who ended a three-game losing streak and won their eighth straight against Texas A&M in Bud Walton Arena.

Danuel House scored 24 points and shot 4 of 5 from 3-point range to lead Texas A&M, which was 19 of 48 (39.6 percent) from the field.

Texas A&M was attempting to win its eighth consecutive conference game, its most since the school won seven in a row as a

member of the former Southwest Conference during the 1979-80 season.

However, the Aggies trailed throughout the first half and by as many as 10 points while struggling to keep possession of the ball against an Arkansas team they defeated 92-69 in College Station on Jan. 2.

Texas A&M committed 13 firsthalf turnovers and trailed 40-33 at halftime, but took a one-point lead three times in the second half — the last coming when a pair of free throws by Tyler Davis produced a 60-59 advantage.

Arkansas regained the lead for good on a floater by Manuale Watkins, and Anton Beard and Hannahs hit free throws in the final minute to help secure the win.

After Hannahs made two foul shots with 6.4 seconds remaining to put the Razorbacks up 7471, Texas A&M’s DJ Hogg missed a 3-point try at the buzzer.

Tyler Davis finished with 14 points and hit eight of nine free throws for the Aggies. Jalen Jones and Alex Caruso had 10 points each.

nba | cavaliers 115, Suns 93

Cavaliers rout Suns at home Associated Press

CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 21 points before sitting out and dancing in the fourth quarter, Kevin Love added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers stormed away in the second half for a 115-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

Sluggish for the first 24 minutes, the Cavs opened the second half with a 12-0 run and sent Phoenix to its 17th loss in 19 games.

Cleveland improved to 2-1 under new coach Tyronn Lue, who took over last week when David Blatt was fired halfway through his second season.

The win means Lue and the Cavs’ coaching staff will represent the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game on Feb. 14 in Toronto.

Rookie Devin Booker paced the Suns with 16 points and P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris had 13 apiece.

J.R. Smith added 18 points as Cleveland, which led by 28 in the fourth, handed Phoenix its 12th straight loss on the road.

Lue wants the Cavs to play much faster than they did

under Blatt, pushing the ball up the floor and running whenever possible to take advantage of their athleticism.

It’s a work in progress Lue said his players need to be in better shape and Cleveland struggled trying to find any rhythm for much of the first half.

However, the Cavs, who only led 55-50 at the break, came out flying in the third and quickly pushed their lead to 17.

Love buried a pair of 3-pointers during Cleveland’s 12-0 spurt, which was highlighted by Smith taking a long outlet and bouncing a pass high off the backboard to a trailing James, who grabbed it with two hands and dunked to make it 62-50.

Moments later, James snagged an alley-oop pass from Smith and the Cavs eventually built their lead to 16 after three.

The rout was on, allowing Lue to rest James for the entire final quarter. During a late timeout, James laughed and danced near the huddle around Lue as “Super Freak” blared throughout Quicken Loans Arena.

After a rough few days, the Cavs had some fun again.

14

Sports

The observer | thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

W Bball Continued from page 16

direct ion,” McGraw sa id. “I t hin k we’ve got some rea lly good momentum going because of what we’re doing defensively. We’re shooting t he ba l l wel l, a nd t hat a lways helps. I t hin k lately we’ve been shoot ing t he ba ll wel l, so I t hin k ea rly on, we weren’t scoring as much, so I t hin k we’re rea l ly sta r t ing to get it a l l toget her now.”

Georg ia Tech (12-8, 2-5) hasn’t had such a n easy sta r t to ACC play, but Irish head coach Muf fet McGraw sa id her opponent may be better t ha n its conference record, point ing to a daunting ea rly schedu le t hat has seen t he Yel low Jackets a lready face not on ly her Not re Da me tea m, but a lso No. 11 Florida State a nd No. 14 Louisv i l le.

“They’re a great team,” McGraw said. “They’ve been giv ing ever ybody a great game. They’ve played t he top ha lf of t he leag ue, so t heir record is not rea lly indicative of how good t hey are, so it’s gonna be a big game for us dow n t here.”

The Yellow Jackets w ill be led by senior g uard/for ward and preseason second-team a ll-ACC selection Aa liya h W hiteside. W hiteside leads t he ACC in scoring t his season w it h 21.8 points per game, as well as leading her team in rebounds, w it h 7.5 per game, and assists, w it h 3.1 per game. W hiteside scored 17 points and added nine rebounds when she faced t he Irish earlier t his season. McGraw said W hiteside’s versatilit y presents a diff icult matchup and can’t be easily contained.

“I don’t k now if you can stop her,” McGraw said. “We tried a lot of different people on her, tried a couple different t hings, and she’s just a rea lly good player. She’s rea lly hard to g uard. She’s got good size at t he g uard spot.

She’s strong. She can do a lot of dif ferent t hings, so she continues to be a tough matchup for us.”

W hen Notre Dame met t he Yellow Jackets last, at Purcell Pav ilion in December, t he Irish built a 22-point lead f ive minutes into t he second ha lf but needed a pair of late 3-pointers from graduate student g uard Madison Cable to ensure an 85-76 v ictor y af ter an attempted Georgia Tech comeback.

McGraw said her team has great ly improved defensively since t hen and she expects to see a more decisive result t his time around.

“It was our f irst game in t he ACC and we had just come of f Oregon State, where we rea lly weren’t play ing well af ter Christmas, rea lly just not play ing well defensively,” McGraw said. “I t hought we had a lot of t hings we were work ing on and I t hink we’ve worked t hrough t hem.

We’re play ing better defensively. [Sophomore for ward Brianna Turner] obv iously is back now and is play ing a lot more minutes for us, and I t hink we learned a lot about ourselves, but it was most ly defensively some t hings we had to work on, and I t hink we have worked on t hem.”

The Irish and t he Yellow Jackets w ill meet at Hank McCamish Pav ilion in At lanta on Thursday. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

Irish sophomore forward Brianna Turner backs into a defender during Notre Dame’s 74-39 win over Toledo on Nov. 18.

M Tennis Continued from page 16

the course of the season,” Sachire said. “ … We’re intent on improving ever y day and staying true to the process of being successful. We know that if we can do this well, we will be in a position to take advantage of these

opportunities.”

The Irish have one of those opportunities this Friday as they travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face the ranked Wildcats, with the first ser ve scheduled for 7 p.m.

“Our match on Friday against Northwestern will be a really, really competitive affair, and we are looking for ward to it,” Sachire

said. “Our last several contests against them have been extremely close, and we are expecting the same this time around, too. “[Northwestern] has a darn good team, and our guys are fired up for the challenge.”

Contact Jackie Brebeck at jbrebeck@nd.edu

EMILY McCONVILLE | The Observer

Irish senior Quentin Monaghan prepares to return the ball during Notre Dame’s 4-3 win over North Carolina State on April 18 at Eck Tennis Center. Monaghan went 1-1 last weekend at Illinois.

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ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, january 28, 2016 | The Observer

15

nd women’s tennis

Notre Dame looks to rebound at home

By ALEX ELLYIN Sports Writer

Notre Dame is back from Stillwater, Oklahoma, and preparing for its upcoming matchups this Sunday against Illinois and Bowling Green at Eck Tennis Pavilion.

After two stinging defeats at the hands of No. 10 Oklahoma State and Arizona State this past weekend at the ITA Kickoff Weekend moved the team to 1-2 on the season, the Irish are looking to get back on track and over .500 Saturday.

“Our goals are to win,” Irish head coach Jay Louderback said. “We need to come out quicker in the doubles and not be playing from behind. We need to look to be more aggressive when we have leads.”

To begin their Saturday doubleheader, the 33rd-ranked Irish will first take on the Fighting Illini (3-1), who are coming off a successful weekend in Lubbock, Texas, at their edition of the ITA Kickoff Weekend. Illinois started its weekend at Texas Tech by

upsetting Virginia Tech before falling to the host No. 17 Red Raiders in the championship match.

When the new ITA rankings came out this week, the Fighting Illini were rewarded for their efforts, moving up five spots to 53.

To get out to a quick lead like Louderback wants, the Irish will rely on their No. 1 doubles team, made up of all-ACC tandem of senior Quinn Gleason and junior Monica Robinson.

The Irish pair, who qualified in doubles for the NCAA championships last year, is No. 32 in the nation and is coming off its best win of the season rankings-wise last weekend against Oklahoma State, where it upended the nation’s No. 9-ranked doubles pair, 6-1.

While the duo had success last weekend, there wasn’t much else working for Notre Dame, which lost 4-0 to both the Cowboys and Sun Devils, failing to record a singles win. The No. 1 doubles team notched the only win of the weekend, with

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its flight against Arizona State suspended while ahead 5-2.

Opposing Gleason and Robinson will be Illinois junior Louise Kwong and freshman Ines Vias, who are also coming off an impressive win, as they took down the No. 25-ranked doubles team from Texas Tech, 6-1.

Following their matches against the Illini, the Irish will compete against Bowling Green, which comes into the contest with a 1-2 record on the season, with a win over Detroit and losses to Ohio State and Northern Kentucky. The Falcons will stop by the Dayton for a matchup with the Flyers on Friday before continuing to South Bend for Sunday’s match against the Irish.

Both matchups will take place Sunday at Eck Tennis Pavilion; Notre Dame and Illinois will go at it first at 11 a.m., while the Falcons and Irish are slated for a 5 p.m. start.

Contact Alex Ellyin at aellyin@nd.edu

CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer

Irish senior forward Zach Auguste dunks during Notre Dame’s 72-64 win over Georgia Tech on Jan. 13 at Purcell Pavilion.

M Bball Continued from page 16

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re-injur y,” Brey said. “That you’re 5-2 in the league you do have a bit of a cushion here. If you were 2-5 it would be a little different stor y, so you’re in a little different situation. I just want to make sure it’s right. He’ll be back, and when he’s back there will still be time to add to a résumé.”

Without Jackson, Brey said the Irish will employ a starting lineup featuring junior guard Steve Vasturia shifting to the point, freshman guard Rex Pf lueger — set to make his first career start — and sophomore for ward Bonzie Colson, who has seen a recent resurgence after losing his starting role and coming off the bench.

W hile the loss of Jackson will hurt, Notre Dame still has options from behind the arc. Vasturia is averaging 12.8 points per game and has connected on 38.6 percent of his 3-point field goals, while junior for ward V.J. Beachem has averaged 11 points while connecting on 42.3 percent of his triples. Both are key cogs in an offense that leads the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to Ken Pomeroy’s metrics.

On the other end of the f loor, however, the Orange (13-8, 3-5) also present a tough matchup.

Syracuse employs two

veteran graduate students at guard in Trevor Cooney and Michael Gbinije. Cooney averages 13.7 points per game, while Gbinije leads the ACC in steals per game in addition to scoring 17.4 points and dishing out 4.1 assists per game.

“You’re dealing with two 23-year-old, fifth-year seniors,” Brey said. “These guys are men up top — and they really make them go. So it’s a great challenge for Rex and Steve to start the game to defend those guys. “ … Cooney has destroyed us before up there. We’ve got to be more alert chasing him around, especially early.”

W hile defending Cooney and Gbinije and going against the 2-3 zone will be tough without Jackson, Brey said he’s confident in his team’s abilities.

“I think it’s daunting no matter what defense you’re playing when you lose a guy like [Jackson],” Brey said.

“But again I think this group has kind of had reps playing without him. And that they had to play the whole game pretty much on Saturday [without him] … gives us a pretty good frame of mind heading up there.”

The Irish travel to Syracuse, New York, without their top player Thursday to face the Orange at the Carrier Dome.

Tip is set for 7 p.m.

Contact Brandon Plamondon at bplamond@nd.edu

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The observer | thursday, january 28, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

Men’s basketball

Vasturia to take over the point at Syracuse

By BRIAN PLAMONDON Sports Writer

No. 25 Notre Dame has slid back into the national rankings just in time for their tilt at the Carrier Dome on Thursday when the Irish visit Syracuse.

Notre Dame (14-5, 5-2 ACC) is coming off four straight ACC victories and is now ranked for the first time since November.

“You know I’m really thinking … we may be the first program to petition to rescind the ranking,” Irish head coach Mike Brey joked Monday. “We don’t want it; we want to stay under the radar. Next week is football signing week, and come catch up w ith us in two weeks. No, it’s great … we’re at a good frame of mind. And we have a couple of days to work against the 2-3 zone.”

A lthough the 2-3 zone, which has become Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim’s trademark, w ill be different

for the Irish compared to the usual man-to-man, Brey said it won’t change Notre Dame’s approach a whole lot.

“Same man-to-man principles when you’re attacking the zone,” Brey said.

“Reversing the ball, certainly driving some gaps a little bit. Getting a low post touch against the zone.”

“It kind of forces teams to live or die by the [3-pointer],” senior for ward Zach Auguste said. “But I think we have great movement, great spacing, and we should be able to expose the 2-3 if we’re passing and kicking it out.”

W hile the Irish have a plethora of shooters, they’ll be missing their star point guard in junior Demetrius Jackson. The Mishawaka native pulled his hamstring Saturday against Boston College, and Brey said his status beyond Thursday isn’t know n yet.

“We want to avoid a see M BBALL PAGE 15

CAITLYN JORDAN | The Observer

Irish junior guard Steve Vasturia drives towards the basket during Notre Dame’s 83-81 win against Virginia Tech on Jan. 20 at Purcell Pavilion. Vasturia scored 14 points and had team-high five assists.

ND Women’s Basketball

men’s tennis

McGraw’s confidence in Irish defense grows

ND travels to Northwestern

By DANIEL O’BOYLE

By JACKIE BREBECK

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

No. 3 Not re Da me t ravels to At la nta to face Georg ia Tech on Thursday, a rematch of bot h tea ms’ 20152016 conference opener.

The Irish (19-1, 7-0 ACC) a re coming of f a n impressive t hree-ga me home st retch, in which t hey defeated No. 19 Tennessee before putt ing up domina nt defensive per forma nces aga inst conference opponents Sy racuse a nd Virg inia Tech, who were bot h held below 30 percent shoot ing f rom t he f ield. Impressive defensive show ings have become a more reg u la r event for Not re Da me in 2016 a f ter some defensive inconsistency ea rly in t he season. Irish head coach Muf fet McGraw sa id her tea m’s defensive improvement, combined w it h cont inued success in 3-point shoot ing, has g iven her tea m st rong momentum.

“I t hin k we’re improv ing, so I wou ld def initely say t hat we a re headed in t he right

Coming of f a close 4-3 loss to No. 23 Tulsa last Sunday, Notre Dame w ill look to rebound against a team of a similar ca liber Friday, when it v isits No. 21 Nort hwestern.

The senior duo of Quentin Monaghan and A lex Lawson won key matches to keep t he Irish (2-2) in tight competition w it h t he Golden Hurricane last week; however, t he rest of t heir teammates were unable to get t he required results to get t he w in. Monaghan and Lawson were t he only w inners in t he singles f lights, as junior Eddy Cova lschi’s t hree-set defeat at No. 2 sea led Notre Dame’s fate.

Wit h respect to his team’s recent defeat, Irish head coach Ryan Sachire said failing to execute t he simple parts of t he game kept Notre Dame from getting a w in against Tulsa.

“We ultimately gave away too many cheap, easy points in some of t he matches t hat we lost, and t hat’s what cost us t he game,” Sachire said.

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KATHRYNE ROBINSON | The Observer

Irish graduate student guard Madison Cable looks to pass the ball during Notre Dame’s 74-39 win over Toledo on Nov. 18.

A f ter tasting t wo defeats last weekend — t he Tulsa one followed a 4-0 loss to No. 7 Illinois — Sachire said t he Irish have bene work ing on t heir of fensive game t his week in preparation for t he Wildcats (3-1).

“Our practices have been focused on emphasizing t he concept of sustaining of fense in how [t hey] play, but doing it in a way t hat is repeatable and low risk,” Sachire said. “[We’ve been] doing a lot w it h ser ves and returns, ultimately tr y ing to improve [t heir] f undamenta ls.”

Avoiding giv ing away easy points is going to be especia lly important for Notre Dame, as its schedule is f ull of games against opponents of a similar ca liber; t he Irish slot 35t h in t he latest ITA rank ings. Instead of seeing t his as daunting, Sachire said he sees t his as a “beautiful” schedule that is full of challenges. “[There are] a tremendous amount of significant opportunities throughout see M TENNIS PAGE 14